Interpersonal power and
influence
• "Power is the ability of one person to
influence what another person thinks or does.
You have power over another person to the
extent that you can influence what this person
thinks or what this person does."--DeVito
Power in Interpersonal
Communication
• Some people are more powerful than others
• Power can be shared, There are a few
strategies to empowering other people. First,
raise the other person's self esteem. Second,
be open, be positive, be empathetic, and be
supportive. Third, Share skills and decision
making with others
• Power can be increased/decreased. Learning
the principles of communication can increase
persuasive power. On the other hand,
unsuccessfully trying to control another
person's behavior, or allowing others to
control you unfairly causes a loss of power.
• Power follows the principle of less
interest. The person who holds the power is
the one less interested in, and less dependent
on the rewards and punishments controlled
by the other person. Power also follows the
laws of supply and demand.The more a person
needs a relationship, the less power that
person has in it, and vice versa
• Power generates privilege. "When one person
has power over another person, the person
with power is generally assumed to have
certain privileges, many of which are
communication privileges" (Devito, 2009, p.
301). People with power are allowed to break
rules that those of lesser power cannot; for
example, people with the superior power can
invade people's space, have the last word.
• Power has a cultural dimension. There is a
discrepancy that is present between people
and attitudes regarding power in different
cultures.
Power in the relationship:
• Referent power: If you can make others want
to be like you or want to be identified with
you, you'll gain compliance easily. This would
be like the power an older sibling has over a
younger sibling. Once a person decides they
want to be like you, then it'll take less effort to
influence the other person
• Legitimate power: If others believe you have
the right by virtue, or by your position, to
influence or control their behavior, you would
be demonstrating legitimate power. According
to DeVito, "Legitimate power stems from our
belief that certain people should have power
over us, that they have the right to influence
us because of who they are. For example, a
teacher, religious leaders, employers, doctors,
police officers
• Expert power: This is when you're seen as having
expert knowledge over a specific subject. For
example, when you're sick you go to the doctors
because you know they have expert knowledge in
that field. You wouldn't go to a mechanic for
answers about surgery risks and benefits. Your
power increases when you're seen as an
unbiased person with nothing to gain personally
from helping others. On the other hand, you're
seen as less powerful when you are biased or
have something large to gain.
• Information or persuasion power: You have
this power over others when you're seen by
others as having good, logical communication,
and that you can be effectively persuasive.
This means you are capable of coming up with
a well thought-out argument to state your
case.
• Reward power: This is the power you have
when you reward others. For example,
teachers have a reward power over students
because teachers can reward students with
good grades. Students also have reward
power over teachers because they give the
evaluations to teachers, and they also have
control over the word-of-mouth social
approval
• Coercive power: This is when you have the
ability to punish somebody if they do not do
what you ask. Teachers also have coercive
power because they can give poor grades to
students. The strength of this power depends
on (1) the magnitude of the punishment that
could be administered, and (2) the likelihood
that the punishment will be given when
someone doesn't do what they've been
asked.
Power in the person:
• Competence: According to DeVito, this is the
knowledge and expertise that other people
believe you have. The more people believe
you have knowledge and expertise, the more
they will be influenced by you. For example, if
you see a doctor's degrees hanging on the
wall in his office, you are likely to believe him
more because it's apparent he has a vast
knowledge in the subject.
• Character: This involves the motives and
intentions behind your influences. If people
see that you are to gain a great deal
personally, you may not be seen as having
good character. This is why it's important to be
honest, and show people that you can be
trusted without having to personally gain from
the situation
• Charisma: This is other people's views of your
personality. If you're friendly, assertive, and
dynamic, people will tend to see you as being
charismatic. However, people will think the
opposite if you are aloof, reserved, hesitant,
and non-assertive.